Flinging Mud Balls!

Perhaps you could advise if the EM Mud Balls are suitable for my pond? Pond is rain water fed both directly and directly by run-off from adjacent ground. Flow through is purely dependent, I think as I did not build it, on overflow at opposite end together withy summer evaporation. Pond is clearly healthy as it supports a constantly self-refreshing shoal of about 20/25 goldfish and several frogs and an overabundance of water lilies. Water has little weed at present but knowing its behaviour for last two years that will soon grow as temperature rises but is very cloudy - particularly after any disturbance of bottom.

Are EM Balls suitable for this environment or is there a better product?

Regards,

Patrick

Dear Patrick

Many thanks for your recent request for more information regarding the use of the EM Mud Balls we supply.

The EM Mud Balls are formed of Bokashi wheat bran, clay, EM microbes and EM ceramic powder, fused together to produce these balls which promote sludge-eating microbial activity, leaving you with excellent water clarity. Fish also benefit from the addition of Mud Balls as the EM microbes help control ammonia levels and suppress any harmful pathogens in the water. Also worth noting is the fact that if your pond is under 1000 litres in capacity, adding a mud ball will not produce any detrimental effects.

The only alternative product to the mud balls we supply is the Barley Ball. This differs from the mud balls in the fact that the pre-treated barley straw floats on, or just under, the surface of the pond in a protective plastic case. The straw contains enzymes which help prevent the growth of algae and weed on the pond surface and these algal inhibitors are completely safe to use around fish and other forms of aquatic life – in fact, the manufacturers claim that the straw and ball can become home to beneficial pond insects which provide a source of food for fish. Other key features to note are that the Barley Ball can be used in ponds under 1000 litres in size if an oxygenating feature is present (such as a fountain); that the optimum time to introduce the ball is between March and July; any weed present should be removed beforehand and that the results begin to appear after 3-4 weeks of the barley ball’s introduction. An important point is that mud balls and the barley ball can be used in the same pond at the same time.

To surmise; the Mud Balls are better for general pond water clarity while the Barley Ball will help keep the surface of the pond clear of weeds and slightly improve the water quality.